Spanish government increases investments in Catalonia

But Puigdemont and pro-independents oppose budget

(ANSAmed) - MADRID, JANUARY 11 - The Spanish government will
increase investments in Catalonia by 18%, for the first time
applying the amount provided for in the Statute of Autonomy, to
convince the pro-independents of the Republican Left of
Catalonia (ERC) and the Catalan European Democratic Party
(PDeCAT) in parliament to vote for the budget, according to
government sources cited on Friday by Spanish daily El Pais.

The executive branch's intention is to have the budget, which
was approved by the Cabinet on Friday, bring to completion the
Statute of Autonomy, which provides for equating state
investments in Catalonia to the weight of the regional GDP on
the Spanish economy.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's minority government
has decided to fight to the end in parliament on the battle over
budget approval, even without having enough votes.

In order to get the decisive backing of the pro-independence
parties, the executive branch is waving the spectre of early
elections.

It warns if that were to happen, the result could be a
government made up of the centre-right People's Party (PP),
Ciudadanos and Vox, which would harshly apply Article 55 of the
Spanish Constitution, allowing the central government to take
administrative control of Catalonia.

However, Catalan pro-independence parties continue to call
for "political gestures" for jailed pro-independence leaders,
who have been in pre-trial custody for over a year and a half,
in light of their upcoming trial on charges related to
organising a referendum on secession.

The central government in Madrid said any action on its part
in this regard is prevented by the separation of the executive
and judicial branches.

Former Catalan President Carles Puigdemont, who is currently
in exile in Belgium, met with current Catalan President Quim
Torra in Waterloo on Friday.

They said they will not support the budget without concrete
gestures by the Sanchez government. (ANSAmed).